Exciting news!

I can now be found here AND at an easier to remember: www.neenmachine.com

No kid wants to hear it. Every parent says it.

Why? - “Because I said so.”

Why did you say so? - “Because.”

But why not? - “Because I said so!”

But why did you say so? - “Just stop. Wait until you have kids of your own!”

Yup. What goes around comes around.

Yesterday was one of those days. If you read my post Adverse Effects of Change, you will see that my normally sweet 9 year old was a bit hard to handle - for the entire day. I know he was having a difficult day because it was the last day of school but my day was equally tough because of him.

To add insult to injury, we had endure a four hour swim meet in the evening. He swam for a portion but once he was done it was a good time to bother mom again.

“Mom, mom, mom, mom” and we can just stop there. I’m sure that you have all had those moments.

For her group writing project, Char at Weary Parent: Parenting Tweens and Teens, asks for a post on advice that your parent gave you as a teen that you took to heart. As I sat in the bleachers yesterday with tears in my eyes because of my relentless son - these are the words that came to mind: “Just wait until you have kids.” I guess my parents had days like that, too.

And on a brighter note, the fog has lifted over our house and my sweetheart is back!

I should have seen it coming.

My nine year old son does not adjust well to change. He never has. And today is the last day of school.

Most children would rejoice. And while my son has been looking forward to it all week - this morning he was an emotional wreck. Mind you, he wasn’t sitting around moping, he was making the rest of us miserable. Just general bad behavior - yelling at his siblings and tormenting them, crying because I wouldn’t let him have ice cream for breakfast (and he thought I would allow this because….?).

Now, I have known this kid for nine years, so I think I have him pegged. On the surface it appeared that he was just being a spoiled bully but I could see what was going on inside. It is a big change for him to leave the classroom that has been his second home for nine months. He will miss seeing his friends every day and the structure that school provided. No, he didn’t love school but it was an integral part of his life.

So, while it was not ok for him to act out and bug the rest of us, I understood where he was coming from. Unfortunately, his siblings were not so understanding. As the mornings are crazy enough, I was not able pull them aside and explain the necessity of patience and compassion.

It was a very unhappy crew that boarded the school bus this morning.

I will have to make a note to warn the family that our newly minted fourth grader may morph into a Tasmanian devil on the first day of school in September.

Do you make money from blogging?

It is a question that many moms have asked me. Actually, they think I am a bit nutty to spend so much time online - and for what purpose?

Well, the short answer is No, I’m not making much money from blogging. But the potential is there. The potential is what keeps me blogging.

But, to get anywhere in the blogosphere, as it is called, I need a little guidance. One site that has given me some ideas is John Chow dot Com. John Chow’s site is all about making money online. Click over to his website and you will see that there is a lot of energy there. His is successful and enthusiastic about blogging (and he should be because it is working for him!)

If I can manage even a fraction of the success that John Chow has achieved, then I will be on the right path.

The first step is this post, because:

John Chow dot Com is a blog that helps you make money. If you review his blog, he’ll link to it and send you a lot of traffic.

Now that summer is here, every conscientious parent is slathering their beloved children with sunscreen. Why? Because we live in fear of those dangerous UVA and UVB rays that could potentially cause skin cancer. We think that we are doing the right thing and protecting our little darlings.

So, imagine my surprise when I read Our first tests: Nanoparticles found in many sunscreens - in the July 2007 issue of Consumer Reports. This article was written as part of a larger article about Nanotechnology.

Apparently, there are nanoparticles of zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide in many sunscreens - although this may not be listed on the label (the ingredients of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide will be listed but the form of the ingredient ie: nanoparticles may not). The benefits of using nanoparticles is cosmetic - the sunscreen does not look as white when you smear it on if the particles are smaller.

The problem is that it has not been determined if slathering yourself (or your kids) with nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is bad for your health. Lab studies show that, yes, they are harmful but only if they get through all that outer skin which is unlikely. But what if your skin is cut or damaged?

I guess the good news is that there are sunscreens that don’t contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide - you just need to read the labels. And the dangers of sun exposure probably outweighs the dangers of sunscreen.

But isn’t that the paradox of life - you think you are doing good when in reality it just might be the opposite.